The head of the Professional Services Council last Friday sent a letter to Senate leaders urging them to approve a bill enabling the federal government to modernize its information technology (IT) systems.
The Modernizing Government Technology Act of 2016 (H.R. 6004) was unanimously approved by voice vote in the House in September.
“The bill provides centralized management of and sources of future funding for upgrading legacy IT systems,” David Berteau, president and CEO of the PSC, wrote in the Nov. 4 letter to the Senate Majority and Minority Leaders, respectively Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Harry Reid (D-Nev.). “It also gives agencies authorities and funding to prioritize and obtain individual agency IT system enhancements. The House-passed bill reflects a balanced compromise of the interests of the agencies, OMB, and stakeholders in Congress. Perhaps most importantly, this bill will address many cybersecurity vulnerabilities inherent in the government’s outdated computer systems.”
Berteau is urging the Senate leaders to act on the bill when the chamber reconvenes later this month.
The bill doesn’t appropriate any monies for the IT modernization but allows funds to be deposited into the working capital fund through reprogramming, transfers and appropriations.
Berteau’s letter was also addressed to Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and Sens. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Tom Udall (D-N.M.), who championed predecessor legislation, the MOVE IT Act.
The Obama administration earlier this year proposed a $3 billion revolving fund to allow federal agencies to modernize their IT infrastructures and then repay the fund through savings generated from more cost-effective computer and network systems.